The Mimidae are American birds and include the thrashers as well as mockingbirds and catbirds. They are also known as mimic thrushes but this name applies best to the mockingbird…
The Chelsea Flower Show is not the biggest flower show in the world but it is probably the most prestigious and influential. Brent Elliot’s book, Chelsea Flower Show: The first…
Planting asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is an investment in time, money and space and growing it from seed is more difficult way to propagate it by division. Asparagus is usually grown…
Found in Tibet in 1924, this barberry is relatively unknown. It has gracefully arching stems that are whitish gray at first, turning purple to shiny brown as they mature. The…
Burning bush, a deciduous shrub native to central and northern east Asia, is grown primarily for its outstanding red fall coloration which gives the plant its common name. The species…
A native of Chile where it grows in woodlands 100-2000 feet above sea level, this vigorous evergreen shrub is upright and stiffly branched. The oval to lance shaped, shiny dark…
To many gardeners shade implies problems but Beth Chatto sees shade as an advantage. In her book, Woodland Garden, she describes over five hundred plants that she grows in her…
Either one of these annuals are exceptional plants in the garden but when used together they can are spectacular. The caster bean grows quickly into a tall shrub and forms…
This evergreen shrub is a native of Chile and Argentina. It was discovered by Darwin in Chile in 1835 when he was a naturalist on the Beagle, hence the specific…
Potentilla (po ten TILL a) derived from Latin potens, powerful + suffix – illa, little. Potentilla is the genus name for about five hundred plants known for their palmately compound…
Karen